New Faces, Same Love

October 30, 2026

Hello everyone!!! 👋🏽 Sorry we are a little late in our update. This past week and a half has been full of new experiences, new friends, and new destinations.

AFTER our return from Utsunomiya, we were anxious to attend our first meeting in the small Spanish group of Jehovah’s Witnesses here in the Saitama region. We had high hopes of being able to rely more on our Spanish, but as the meeting approached, we were informed that it would be in full Japanese. As this is common once a month. So we got dressed and carried on with the only two strong Japanese phrases in our vocabulary, “arigato” and “sumimasen.” Arriving, it was refreshing to see so many new faces. Interestingly, some spoke English, and some spoke Spanish, but the rest, spoke Japanese. However, the LOVE was still the same. They welcomed us with open arms! One older Japanese brother even gave Kieran a massage on the spot. LOL (Thanks Brother)

EVERYDAY LIFE IN JAPAN – We promised ourselves that on this trip we were here for the friends in the congregation/group. This meant potentially sacrificing visits to some of the touristy spots. We wanted to live as they do. Therefore, we do our own laundry, clean our apartment, shop, cook, and study as if we were living here permanently. Although this takes us twice as long due to the differences in custom and language, we push forward making this more and more our home. Little did we forget that when you make sacrifices you often result with more in the end. Acts 14:17

TONKATSU – The following day after the meeting we were in for a treat. A kind, mild Japanese brother who speaks little to no English invited us out! To where? To one of the busiest subway stations in the world. NO JOKE. After about 30 minutes of hide and seek we finally found each other and could carry on with the evening plans. Being guided by our new friend, who knows this station like the back of his hand, we were directed to what would be our favorite meal thus far. TONKATSU. (Imagine the crispiest, most perfectly golden fried pork cutlet you have ever had with a delicate airy crunch on the outside paired with a sweet and tangy Japanese sesame sauce and fresh cabbage. You have TONKATSU) DELICIOUS!!!

Surprisingly, the night did not end there. We finished it watching the largest projection show in the world and being escorted to the 45th floor of a government building to enjoy Tokyo from above. What a night!

POSSIBILITIES – The weekend was a whirlwind of getting to know more about our new friends, their lives here in Japan, and of course, eating plenty of food. We even began learning of others who have done something similar to us. This opened our mind to the possibilities that may lie ahead. We want to return but the road is not 100% clear. Where do we stay? What do we do for work? Can we learn Japanese? All necessities if we want to return and stay longer.

SHINKANSEN – While planning this trip, we knew we wanted to get away from the buildings and sidewalks and see Japans natural side. We found a cute Airbnb in Japan’s countryside, but little did we know we chose the region of Japan most known for their “OCHA!”(green tea) Reyna was in HEAVEN! However, to get there was no easy feat. It involved navigating yet another very busy train station, getting lost, boarding the wrong train, finding the right train, and then hopping on one of the fastest trains in the world “The Shinkansen” (bullet train) And that was not the end. WHEW… We then had to board another small, one engine train, that took us past rice fields and over streams and rivers until we arrived to Morí. There we were picked up by our host and enjoyed one of the best Airbnb stays we could have imagined. 10 out of 10!!!

Since returning from our small getaway, we have already had a full week of activity that we cannot wait to share in our next blog. We hope to see you there.

As we finish this blog in one of our favorite, local cafes in Takenotsuka we would like to say thanks for reading and for the sweet comments we have received through this platform. Also, thanks for extra cups of tea and coffee we have been able to have thanks to supporters. ADIOS!